With Thanks
by Canadianjudy
Summary: Mrs. Hughes/Elsie reflecting on the wedding dress drama that transpired on her wedding eve and her thoughts of gratitude to all of those involved. This is my first-ever fanfic; I haven't written a word since high school. This is un-beta'ed and un-everythinged. I couldn't even figure out how to include the sewing/fabric pics I wanted to include. Oh, well. Enjoy!


With Thanks

She wondered how she could ever thank them enough. Her heartfelt words offered last week still didn't seem adequate. She had made sure that on her wedding day she had taken time to offer a few words of gratitude to each of the women who had played a part in her special day. Her wedding day. Her day. Her way. But it still didn't seem enough.

"We've come to dress the bride.", they said. And _she_ was the bride. Never, ever did she think those words would be directed at her. What a glorious wedding morning; her heart was singing already, even while she was still in her nightgown, laying in her bed.

But what a tumultuous wedding day eve it had been! Looking back, the wedding coat had been such a marvelous and beautiful gift from Lady Grantham, the perfect last-minute compliment to her wedding dress. But what a nightmare it had been getting there, getting to the point where she was a glowing vision of beauty! Who would have thought that her plan to wear her years-old, plain day dress would be replaced with a wedding ensemble that would make her absolutely sparkle?

And who would have thought that there would be, in the end, so much drama involving 'the dress'? Ah, yes...the dress. Mrs. Hughes had resigned herself to looking at least tidy. She told Mr. Carson she wished she'd put in more of an effort; but, oh well...'tidy' would be the best she could manage, given her procrastination and the wedding ceremony so soon upon them. The day dress would have to do.

Much to her surprise, though, and without saying a word to her about it, the cook, her beloved friend, Mrs. Patmore, had ordered a new dress, a replacement dress from the mail-order catalog. It was neither costly nor elegant but, surely, the new frock would be a vast improvement on Elsie's old brown day dress! Unfortunately, and much to Mrs. Patmore's chagrin, when she lifted the newly delivered dress from its box, Anna and Daisy were wont to find anything encouraging to say about it, agreeing that perhaps the old day dress wouldn't look so bad after all. It would take nothing short of a miracle to make this new dress an improvement over the old one. Were we back to square one, then?

No, because, unbeknownst to Elsie, a later conversation upstairs between Anna and Lady Mary would result in her becoming the proud, grateful and somewhat embarrassed owner of a beautiful velvet coat. A coat that, along with just enough of the plain catalog dress peeking out, would make her not just do, not just look tidy but turn her into a breathtaking beauty of a bride.

Ah, the coat...Not many knew the goings-on upstairs in Lady Grantham's bedroom that resulted in this coat becoming part of the housekeeper's wedding ensemble. It was Lady Mary who had given permission for them to go through Lady Grantham's clothes, assuring the downstairs women that they would certainly be able to find something that would add a bit of sparkle to the plain, old day dress. The problem lie, however, in her Ladyship being unaware of this arrangement and, upon entering her room, seeing Mrs. Patmore, Daisy and Mrs. Hughes rifling through her clothes. How embarrassed the three women were as they tried to explain, yet were chastised sorely as they scurried from the room, leaving the coat behind.

And so... even with some initial ill feelings about it all, how to properly thank them? How to properly thank Anna and Mrs. Patmore for being cohorts-in-crime behind the scenes? And even Lady Mary. She surely was the one, in the end, who mended the guilt and hard feelings. It was Lady Mary who smoothed things over, scolding her own mother in the process, which caused Lady Grantham to not only apologize but graciously gift Mrs. Hughes with the very coat she had been trying on.

And how to properly thank Miss Baxter for burning the midnight oil, for working into the wee hours of the wedding morning? Few knew that Lady Grantham's gifted coat came to fit Mrs. Hughes just right solely because of Miss Baxter's creative and expert sewing skills. Lady Grantham was much taller than Elsie, but Miss Baxter's amazing handiwork turned the too-long, fur-laden coat into absolute perfection. Few knew the hours Miss Baxter spent measuring, trimming, cutting, pinning and hand sewing the hem, beading and lacework, all on her own time.

Looking back on all of this, Elsie knew that she had looked, in the eyes of her husband and everyone in attendance, more than tidy; she had looked downright stunning on her wedding day, a very vision of beauty! And she knew that all the credit went to those dear women, both upstairs and downstairs, who had played a part in the last two days.

She also knew that, even with Charles' vow of sharing his worldly goods, there was little money to spend on extravagant thank you gifts. Could she buy them something small? Could she thank them with an act of kindness of some sort? Could she bake them something special, something made with her own fair hands? Could she pen them a poem of gratitude or perhaps sketch or paint them a remembrance of the day? No, she didn't feel at all adequate in those areas. What could she do, then, at minimal expense?

And then it came to her! She hadn't done much sewing, other than mending, lately, but she had developed quite the repertoire of sewing skills over the years and so decided that she could stitch them up something special. She was confident of her skills in that area, but what to make, exactly? Something small, something personal, perhaps something little enough that she could avail herself of the baskets of scraps and remnants that were stored away in the Abbey attics. Perhaps something for which she wouldn't have to purchase substantial lengths of yardage. Surely she could gather together enough bits and pieces that were leftover from dresses, aprons and table linens made in the past for the family and staff. She already had her own supply, built up over time, of snaps, hooks, buttons, thread and the like. And so, surely, in that mix of silks, laces and practical cottons, she could piece together a small token of thanks for each of these dear women who had helped make her wedding day gloriously unforgettable!

As head housekeeper, she knew she could sneak away on occasion to the storeroom that housed these baskets and bins of fabric pieces. It was a place to which no one would follow her, so she knew her plan was safe in that regard. No one would question her or wonder why she was searching and rummaging about for just the right selection of pieces that she could sew together into some small gift, a small token of thanks and appreciation. And she knew her plan was safe with her husband; stitching away at home, in the cottage, by the warmth of the fire, she knew he would be curious but would also keep her secret.

And so she poked and picked through the bits and lengths of fabrics, laces and ribbons, choosing just the right colors for each of the recipients. But what would she do, exactly, with these pieces? What would she make? She decided on something small, yet both practical and a keepsake. She would make them each a small pouch in which to keep their treasures. Perhaps a piece of jewelry, or perhaps a family keepsake, perhaps a small sewing kit, perhaps a photograph or two. It would be up to each of the ladies to decide what to keep inside. And she also knew that, however inappropriate some might think it to gift something to her employer and her employer's daughter, in this case, it just seemed right. Miss Baxter, Anna, Daisy, Mrs. Patmore, along with Lady Grantham and Lady Mary had each, in their own way, played a part in bringing this wedding ensemble together.

The finishing touch, she decided, would be the piece of fabric someone had gifted her so long ago that she used as a lining in one of her bureau drawers. She finally had the perfect use for it; she would use it to line each pouch! The length was certainly more than generous. It was a cream colored piece printed with keys. Yes, keys like the ones that hung from her waist, keys that opened everything from the upstairs family rooms to the library to the servants' quarters to the store cupboard. Though each of these gifts might differ in function or appearance, they would all have the same lining in common, this piece of 'keys' fabric. Mrs. Hughes, keeper of the keys, would leave her imprint upon Downton in yet another way, visible only to those dear women who had played such a special part in the most precious and memorable day of her life.

"To friends…", she thought, fondly, as she set into stitching her first gift.


End file.
